


Soft as a Siren Luring the Ships off their Course

by WaffleDogOfficial



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Horror, Creepy Orochimaru (Naruto), Drabble, Drabble Collection, Gen, Horror, Human Sacrifice, Not That Scary Don't Worry, Orochimaru Being Orochimaru (Naruto), Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:55:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaffleDogOfficial/pseuds/WaffleDogOfficial
Summary: When Kimimaro's family abandons him at the lighthouse with the instructions “keep the lantern lit” and nothing else, he almost runs away from his fate.But at the lighthouse he's important. Wanted. Needed.Desired. A sacrifice for the sea gods. That's all that matters.
Relationships: Kimimaro & Orochimaru (Naruto)
Kudos: 7
Collections: r/NarutoFanfiction Halloween Challenge





	1. The lantern

When Kimimaro's family abandons him at the lighthouse with the instructions “keep the lantern lit” and nothing else, he almost runs away from his fate. The boy is halfway out the door when he reconsiders.

In the outside world, he's nothing. Trash. Garbage. Just another sickly boy.

But at the lighthouse he's important. Wanted. Needed. _Desired_. A sacrifice for the sea gods. That's all that matters. 

So alone— he’s always been alone anyway— he tends to the lighthouse. He fishes. He cooks. He eats. He cleans. He sleeps. Always alone. 

And, most important of all, he keeps the lantern lit.


	2. The god

Months pass. The sun and moon rise and fall. Animals come and go on migration. Storms form and vanish. Kimimaro sees no one. He talks to no one. Always alone. Every day the same.

Until destiny arrives.

On that fateful morning, the boy searches the shore for kelp. Lost in thought, he fails to notice the presence swimming toward him.

“Good morning,” someone greets from the water.

Pulse pounding, Kimimaro spins to see, dropping his basket. Half human, half fish. Beautiful white scales coursing down his body. A simple lavender tunic.

“Good morning,” the sea god repeats with a smile.


	3. Worthy

"Good morning." Kimimaro croaks, voice rusty from misuse.

The god's smile widens. "I'm sorry I haven’t come sooner. Did I make you wait long?"

Kimimaro shakes his head. "Not long." Not compared to _before_. 

Waves crash against the god, but he is unfazed. He studies Kimimaro, eyes focused on his face.

“Why do you think I’m here?” the god finally asks with a tilt of his head.

"I'm a sacrifice." Kimimaro shudders. He walks forward until he's ankle-deep in the waves, his basket of kelp forgotten on the sand.

"But are you worthy?" The god stands, tail turning into legs.


	4. Orochimaru

Kimimaro bites his lip. The possibility that he’s not worthy forms a pit of dread in his stomach. 

"I'm not sure," he admits. He feels tears forming in the corner of his eyes. Is his entire life pointless after all?

The god walks to him, placing the palm of his hand on his cheek. It's cold and Kimimaro shudders, but it's the first touch Kimimaro has received as long as he can remember. He welcomes it.

"I'm sure you're worthy," the god says. "Now, tell me your name."

"Kimimaro."

The god caresses his face and grins. "My name is Orochimaru."


	5. Touch

"It's very nice to meet you, Kimimaro," the god, Orochimaru, combs his fingers through Kimimaro's hair and leans in to look into his eyes. "You seem like a strong boy."

The physical contact sends shivers up and down Kimimaro's spine. How long has it been since someone else touched him? "I'm not," he says. "I'm sick."

The god smirks again. "That's something we can fix."

"We can?"

Orochimaru nods. "We can."

Kimimaro swallows. "But how? At the clan, they—” 

The god covers his mouth with his hand. His smirk widens as he caresses his face again. "Don't worry. You'll see."


	6. Alone again

Orochimaru leaves with a smile and a promise to return as he walks back into the ocean, transforming into his godly form. 

The boy watches the place where he submerged for a long time. He half expects Orochimaru to appear. Hopes to be considered worthy. No one appears. No one talks. Alone again.

Unsure what to do, the boy walks back to the dry shore and picks up his basket of kelp. As if in a dream, he continues his day as usual. He fishes. He cooks. He cleans.

At the end of the day, he turns the lantern on.


	7. The dock

When Kimimaro wakes at the crack of dawn, the meeting with Orochimaru feels like a dream.

Unsure what else to do, the boy cooks and eats breakfast. Dazed, he exits the lighthouse and heads to the fishing dock.

"Good morning."

The god sits on the dock, legs dangling over the edge. Unlike the day before, his dress is vibrant— green seaweed decorated with colorful coral and seashells. He walks to stand in front of Kimimaro.

"I promised I would come, didn't I?" the god touches his face and smiles.

Kimimaro can't stop the tears falling down his face. "You did."


	8. The hut

"May I come into your home?" Orochimaru wipes Kimimaro's tears away, caressing his face again.

Kimimaro nods. He doesn't have a home. Never has. Still, they enter the hut built into the lighthouse side by side. It's a tiny space. A bed, a fireplace, a table, a chair. Nothing fit for a god.

"Would you like something to eat or drink, master?" Kimimaro walks to the fireplace, tries to start a fire.

Orochimaru smiles. "I can't eat human food."

"What can you eat?" The boy swallows, hoping it's something he can provide.

Orochimaru's smile widens. "Don't worry. You'll find out."


	9. Forgiveness

"What do you mean, master?"

"I'm here to see if you're worthy," Orochimaru says with a shake of his head. "What I eat is not your concern."

"I see." The boy gulps. Rejected. Again.

The god's eyes soften. He touches Kimimaro's face again. Despite the cold, the boy leans into the caress, shuddering when their skins make contact.

"You're just not ready to know the full truth, Kimimaro." His voice is apologetic. Sincere. "Can you forgive me?"

Kimimaro nods. Orochimaru has done nothing that needs forgiveness.

The god smiles. "That's right. Don't think about it. Now... Tell me about yourself."


	10. Warmth

Kimimaro tells his life. His illness. His family. It’s boring and dreary, but Orochimaru listens anyway. He hums, asking clarification questions, gaze focused on Kimimaro throughout.

When Kimimaro finishes shortly after— he has little to say— Orochimaru speaks. He tells him of a marvelous place. The ocean. Where leviathans swim and corals bloom. Where the world is blue. Where whales sing. Where _the god_ lives.

Noon arrives and Orochimaru leaves with a promise to visit tomorrow. The boy says his farewells, watching the spot where the god had disappeared long after his departure. His body fills with warmth. He smiles.


	11. The depths

Orochimaru comes the day after and the day after that. For the first time, the boy is not alone.

While Kimimaro soon runs out of things to say, Orochimaru doesn't. The ocean is vast, with millions of things to explore. And the god is such a great storyteller that Kimimaro can almost imagine the depths himself.

"I wish I could see it," he confesses one day.

"The ocean?" Orochimaru’s fingers comb through Kimimaro's hair.

Kimimaro leans into the touch. Nods.

"Do you want me to show it to you?" Orochimaru tilts his head and smiles

Kimimaro’s pulse quickens. "Can you?"


	12. Determination

"Yes, I can." Orochimaru's voice is soft and hypnotic. "Do you wish to know how?"

"Please, master."

"Become a part of me," the god says.

"Part... of you?" Kimimaro's pulse quickens. 

"Come to the ocean with me," Orochimaru clarifies. "Remember when you asked me what I ate?"

Kimimaro nods. Remembers. He understands. The god grins at him, extending a hand out. Together, they head to the shore, swim out until they stand waist-deep. 

Orochimaru turns to him. "Ready?"

"Ready." Determination courses through him.

The god smiles one last time. His face changes. Teeth sharpen. Eyes brighten. He pulls Kimimaro underwater.


	13. The newest sacrifice

The ocean is beautiful. Colorful fish in coral reefs. Gentle whales with their songs. Terrifying monsters from the depths. 

Kimimaro sees it all through Orochimaru's eyes.

The god doesn't talk or touch him anymore, but Kimimaro doesn't mind. Within the god's body, he meets the sacrifices before him. Kabuto. Jugo. Karin. Jugo. Their names repeat themselves in what remains of his consciousness. His new family.

Warmth fills him. He's not alone. He won't be. Not ever again.

The god approaches the newest sacrifice. Sasuke. Another lonely boy. He wishes he could tell the other boy about the destiny that awaits.


End file.
